Literature Matters campaign

Today, Tuesday 26 September, the RSL launches its Literature Matters progamme which aims to highlight the power and value of great writing. And it asks writers and readers to help – with contributions, proposals and support. The programme has four strands:

Open to submissions from any source, the Literature Matters Online Hub will select and present commentaries, quotations, personal experiences and research. It already includes contributions from Jonathan Coe, A. L. Kennedy, Michael Morpurgo, Michael Rosen, Kamila Shamsie and students.

Open to entries from today, the RSLLiterature Matters Awards are grants for excellent writing or literary projects, especially if reaching outside the usual scope of literature, or generating discussion about the value of literature. Around £20,000 is available in total, with entries to be judged by Fellows of the RSL.

Leading up to the RSL’s bicentenary in 2020, the Literature Matters Events will present writers and others talking about how much literature matters to them and to the world. Launching the series tonight at the British Library, the RSL’s new President Marina Warner lectures on Imagination in Action. Future speakers include Philip Pullman and Adam Phillips.

The Literature Matters Supporters’ Circle offers smaller events and special access for literature lovers who provide the programme with crucial financial support. As a small charity, the RSL relies entirely on donations.